By Julissa Treviño/south news editor
After five years of including Film Appreciation in its curriculum, the South Campus will begin the fall semester with a new student organization that combines the art of film with student participation.
The new organization will be headed by Molly Floyd, South Campus speech and film appreciation instructor.
Floyd, who began teaching film appreciation on South Campus two years ago, has a background in theater.
Floyd said her shift from the theater to film has been a natural one because the history of the two mediums began to merge in the late 1800s.
“I love watching and studying films,” she said.
“I have wanted to start a film club for a while now, but the timing has never been right,” she added.
Before spring break, Floyd mentioned the idea to one of her students, Tyler Wilbers.
“He ran with the idea,” she said.
“The week after spring break, he met multiple times with me and Zeb Strong [director of South Campus student activities],” she said.
Floyd said by the next week the students had a MySpace page up and participated in Spring Fling. They have already held their first organizational meeting.”
For the fall semester, the club plans to organize film festivals for Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month and one centered on politics.
Members also plan to work with the Lone Star Film Festival, the annual USA Film Festival and the Dallas Video Fest.
While Wilbers and Floyd have also discussed the idea of showing films on campus for students to watch, the idea of a long-term project for the group has also been discussed.
A documentary, Wilbers said at the first meeting, would be a good project because it can be relatively easy to produce and enter in competitions.
“We have had multiple contacts from our faculty who seem to be interested in the film club for their students, and we already have a long list of ways to participate with the Art Club, The Senior Citizens, Women’s History month, as well as with the English Department and many other organizations, classes and events,” Floyd said.
Leadership positions for fall semester within the group are open and will be filled at the next meeting April 29.
The group will also finalize a decision on the name of the organization.
Anyone wanting to get involved at TCC and especially those who are interested in film can participate in the organization, Wilbers said.
“The organization can include people who simply like watching movies to people interested in working on their own projects on campus, and [it] is a great opportunity to get away from classes and just have fun,” he said.
For more information or questions about the upcoming meeting, contact Molly Floyd on South Campus at 817-515-4641 or molly.floyd@tccd.edu.
